A: The owner/operator also offers interior painting. Some clients ask her to do small paint jobs while they are away, such as: a single room, a balcony or patio, furniture pieces, retouching after a DIY renovation, those kinds of small projects.

A: Marpole Walkabout HouseChecking…MWH for short. Our domain name is “mwhco27.com” which stands for “marpole walkabout house checking online”.  The 27 has no significance.

When local home owners leave home for whatever reason, we also want them to leave behind any concerns pertaining to the maintenance and care of their home.

A: MWH territory includes Marpole and surrounding neighbourhoods such as: Kerrisdale, Southlands, Shaughnessay and Arbutus. Operations extend to most of Vancouver and outlying areas such as Fairview Slopes, Fraserview, Richmond, etc.

Note: a mileage fee will only apply to destinations greater than 10 km from base of operations.

A: A house sitter lives in residence during a gig. House checking is a drop-in service. I started out as a house sitter in 2005 then switched to house checking in 2009. Some travellers arrange for friends or neighbours to drop in, check their home & do a few chores. But not every home owner is this fortunate, or needs a more professional approach to house checking. That’s where MWH comes in.

Case Study: I met a house sitter who was house sitting for her aunt and uncle in North Van. She explained that when they went away, they would simply ask their sons & daughters, who lived nearby, to drop by the house from time-to-time. During one such trip away, the basement flooded. Since none of their family thought to check downstairs, the flood went unnoticed until their return. With MWH that would never happen because of our walkabout policy.

A: I started house sitting in 2005 to make extra income. I soon found there was a real need for responsible house sitters. I placed a short ad in 2 local papers & had several phone calls within 2 weeks. Two of those initial contacts became my regular house sitting clients for the next three years.

A: For convenience. During my day job I was often dispatched daily to a different work location, so leaving from my own ‘home base’ (instead of from a clients home) was less disruptive to my sleep pattern.

A: In 2007 at the end of my workday as a TCP, I returned to a Vancouver client’s home…and to visible signs of a B&E (break-in and entry). Within an hour I had: called in the police, did a walkabout of the house with a VPD officer who filed a report, and left a long-distance voicemail report for my client. Fortunately no valuables were missing and the cat was fine (& of course well fed).

A: Yes, I have several client references in writing. (See: TESTIMONIALS.) My dealings with people (business and personal) have always been based on the win-win approach. I was fortunate to have parents who demonstrated through example, such universal values. Ask us about the ‘family pen story’.

A: Yes. I am bonded and insured.

A: (See Q10.) My first house sitting assignment was for a lady in North Vancouver who owned a Jack Russell Terrier & was planning a 10 day trip to Arizona. She hired me over the phone during our first conversation. I suggested that perhaps she should meet me first. She said “No, I don’t think that will be necessary. I’m a pretty good judge of character.” I asked this lady if she would mind requesting a background check for me from the Vancouver Police Dept., which she did on her return. I have since shared this paperwork with several prospective clients.

Re: background checks: To qualify to work in traffic control for The City of Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympic/Paralympic Games, we were required to pass a VPD background check. After receiving clearance I was dispatched to the YVR team (Vancouver Airport), where I worked as a TCP for the duration of the Games.

A: Check out the Rates Page for current pricing and special deals!